FSM signs treaties of extradition and maritime boundaries

Palikir, POHNPEI (FSM Information Service): July 12, 2006 - President Joseph J. Urusemal has recently signed treaties of cooperation between the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Republic of Palau.

The treaties of cooperation between the three Micronesian nations were among the issues raised during the Sixth Micronesian Presidential Summit held in the Marshall Islands from July 4-5, 2006.

Among the treaties was the Extradition Treaty which the three Micronesian Presidents signed to formalizing procedures and policies for tri-lateral extradition of criminals between the three nations.

President Urusemal had also signed treaties of Maritime Boundary Delimitation with the Marshall Islands and with Palau. Concerned with safeguarding the breadth of ocean amongst the three nations, the FSM's bilateral treaties had established the demarcation line between the FSM and its flanking nation neighbors of Marshall Islands and Palau.

With the determination of each one's border, the Micronesian nation's agreed to reinforce an existing Border Patrol Agreement which allows each nation to patrol and enter another's Exclusive Economic Zones in the collective efforts to deter illegal fishing activities. The existing agreement, in addition - allow each of the three Micronesia nations to enforce the fisheries laws of another during their border patrols.

Along with the treaties, the Presidential Summit had status updates on the various issues of concern to the nations individually and collectively, among which include issues of: Prior Service and the Totalization Agreement on Social Security, Airport Improvement Program (AIP), Postal Services, Labor and Immigration measures, Renewable Energy, the Micronesian Challenge, Telecommunications matters (Fiber Optics and PEACESAT) and the harmonization Quarantine Services.

The Presidents also discussed the need to reinstate the post-secondary supplemental educational grants and reinstate the college work-study program. They agreed to task their Embassies in Washington DC to collaborate their efforts in addressing the issue with the United States.

Of regional concern, the Summit discussed the Pacific Plan, the recent Okinawa Partnership, the matter of a European Union sub-regional office in Micronesia and among other environmental matters, the issue of Deep-sea Bottom Trawling.

A Communiqué was issued at the conclusion of the Summit, along with the declaration that the next Summit is to be hosted by the Federated States of Micronesia in 2007.